Kaymer on Hunter’s heels

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March 12, 2011

World No.1 Martin Kaymer is breathing down the neck of leader Hunter Mahan at the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

World No.1 Martin Kaymer is breathing down the neck of leader Hunter Mahan at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral’s Blue Monster.

The German, who shot a bogey-free 70, was just one shot off the pace after the second round, thanks to the American’s shaky finish.

Mahan, who had carded an 8-under 64 when completing his unfinished first round earlier in the day, stumbling on the closing stretch in the third round with bogies at 14 and 16 to see a four-stroke lead with just six holes to play shrink to one as a chasing pack lead by a relentless Kaymer, who birdied the 17th, and Italian Francesco Molinari, who is alongside the German on eight-under after his second successive 68, reeled him in.

Glaswegian Martin Laird, based in the United States since his college days and a winner on the PGA Tour two years ago, is in a group of four players two shots off the pace on seven-under.

The Scot holed a 45-foot birdie putt on the short ninth and a 57-foot chip-in at the 16th on his way to a 70.

“I’ve been playing good for a while,” said the 28-year-old. “It’s kind of easy in a way when you sneak under the radar and quietly go about your business.

“It’s been mostly about getting confidence in myself and I’ve started to believe I could be a top-10 player in the world.”

He currently stands 43rd.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy joined the group at seven-under with a birdie at the last on his way to a second-round 69.

World number three Luke Donald was unable to match his opening 67, a level par 72 seeing him finish on five-under.

But Lee Westwood – the other member of the top-three group alongside Kaymer and Donald – had a day to forget. The former No.1 had a seven at the par-five eighth on his way to a 74 and has fallen back with a level par total for the championship.